Chongqing, Hong Kong agree to jointly pursue development

Chongqing and Hong Kong, both of which boast mountainous landscapes and spectacular night views, are forging closer ties, with the two cities announcing plans to deepen cooperation in areas covering trade, finance, technology and talent exchanges through a new cooperation mechanism.

The cooperation framework with Chongqing is the first high-level government cooperation mechanism established by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region with a mainland province or municipality since the current-term SAR government took office.

It is the third such agreement between Hong Kong and a mainland municipality directly under the central government, after Shanghai in 2003 and Beijing in 2004.

Under the new framework, both sides will pursue closer ties in 11 areas — economic and trade investment, finance, technological innovation, logistics, culture and tourism, education, talent exchanges, youth development, legal services, medical care and traditional Chinese medicine, and facilitating the development of Hong Kong people in Chongqing.

Starting on Wednesday, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu led principal officials to visit Chongqing for three days.

The delegation included Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau Ying-wah, and Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong.

As a major industrial powerhouse, Chongqing in Southwest China became the country's fourth municipality in 1997 after Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin. In the same year, Hong Kong returned to the motherland.

The Hong Kong group toured a science lab, a logistics hub and an ancient town, Ciqikou, before holding a meeting with senior Chongqing officials on Thursday afternoon.

Both sides reached consensus at the High-Level Meeting cum First Plenary Session of the Hong Kong/Chongqing Co-operation Conference on how to jointly promote the country's high-quality development.

"As the only municipality in inland China, Chongqing plays a unique and important role in the country's regional development and opening-up," Yuan Jiajun, Chongqing's Party secretary, said at the meeting.

He said the two cities should enhance the strategic link between the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle, promote the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, strengthen innovative cooperation in cross-border finance, and explore the establishment of two-way investment and financing channels.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Lee said at the meeting that under the overall national blueprint, both cities play "important and unique roles".

"Hong Kong and Chongqing have always been very close," Lee said. "Hong Kong is an important platform for Chongqing's enterprises to 'go out'."

Hong Kong is Chongqing's largest nonlocal direct investor, the largest investment destination for Chongqing enterprises and Chongqing's fourth-largest trading partner, according to the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Commerce.

In a social media post, Lee said after returning to Hong Kong on Friday afternoon that his visit to Chongqing was fruitful.

"In the future, under the cooperation mechanism, the two sides will see more communication and exchanges at all levels to help the development of both places reach new heights, so that Hong Kong can grasp the opportunity to engage in national development," he wrote on Sina Weibo.

Alison Lee, 38, a Hong Kong native who has lived in Chongqing for three years, opened a cafe in downtown Chongqing in September 2020.

"I really love Chongqing and want to stay here," she told China Daily. "Under the cooperation mechanism, I am concerned about how Chongqing can facilitate Hong Kong business people, especially startups and micro enterprises like us."